500.A15A4 General Committee (Arms)/162
President Roosevelt to the Secretary of State
Dear Cordell: Please refer to Wilson’s #1003, March 8th, Noon, from Geneva. This is a very significant dispatch which I think you should lay aside for possible future need. It shows two things: first, the unwillingness of the British, because of alleged armament weakness, to accept the principle of open international armament inspection—thus making it impossible to go along with what we have considered essential in its application to Germany; in other words, the only practical way of keeping German armaments down to an agreed on level being to inspect German armament supplies, England dashes this hope by declining to be inspected herself. The last paragraph is a frank admission that the British decline to accept detailed publicity as to armament orders on the ground that it would prejudice their armament trade.
At some future time it may be advisable to pull this rabbit out of our hat as proof that the present British Government is not sincere in seeking limitation or reduction of present world armaments or present world trade in warlike weapons.
I am much discouraged.
Very sincerely yours,